Wave-poweb machine



E. T. ALLEN. WAVE POWER MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED DEO,28,1910

Patented May 23, 1911.

INVENTOR W1 TNESSES mtilanms P'Efllls to. wasnmcrnn. o. In

EDMUND T. ALLEN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

WAVE-POWER MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 23, 1911 Application filed December 28, 1910. Serial No. 599,787.

T 0 all whom it may concern.

lie it known that I, Ennunn T. ALLEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at (lhicage, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in ave-Power Machines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to wave-power mechanism. Its object is to provide a mechanism which will permit the intermittent power of a wave to transmit motion with a particular contumacy during the advance of the wave and durin its recession, and the object of the invention also is to so apply the wave "as to most effectively conserve the energy applied.

To this end my invention comprises the combination of mechanism as set forth in the appended claims.

In the drawing Figure 1 is a side elevation partly in section; and Fig. 2 is the detail of a power wheel.

In the drawings 10 represents a concrete or similar bed built upon a beach, and in the preferred form illustrated, comprising a receiving plane or incline at an angle of, for example, from 30 to 45 degrees, an opposing plane or incline preferably of a sharper angle as, for example, from 40 to degrees, and an intervening substantially horizontal plane. The arrangement is such that an advancing wave will readily charge up the first incline 11, then advance across the horizontal space 12 and finally run up the sharper incline 13. There may be at the top of this incline 13 any suitable wall, the purpose being to give a sudden check to the returning wave so that it may have an additional volume and power.

14 represents an anchor embedded in the concrete base. Pivoted to the anchor at 15 is a vane or gate 16, which primarily swings in the direction of the arrow, and then returns to the position illustrated.

17 represents a frame of simple construction, whose standards are embedded in the concrete.

18 and 19 represent two drive-Wheels which are shown in detail in Fig. 2, and which, as illustrated, comprise in each Wheel two grooves 20 and 21 and a sprocket Wheel 22-. The wheel 18 carries on one side a bar 23, and the wheel 19 carries a similar bar it. The bar 2?} is pivotcu at the point 23 to the frame 17 and the llZH' 21 is similarly pirotcd to the point 20. Each bar carries at its outer end a ratchet or sharply pitched ,J'car. the two gears being. respectively. numbered 27 and Each ratchet bears on its huh a sprocket pinion. the two being, rcspectively, numbered 25) and S0. The sprocket wheel 22 and the sprocket pinion 29 are connected by means of a sprocket chain 31 and on the opposite side is a simi lar sprocket chain 31. On the frame are two projecting stops 32 and 33. which are arranged to receive and stop the bars 2-; and 24, as during the operation of the mechanism they fall at each successive operation of the mechanism. Secured to the gate 16 at one side is a cord 34, which is wound, in this illustration, twice about the wheel 18, passing around the two grooves 20 and 21. On the opposite side is a cord 35 secured to the opposite side of the gate 16 and similarly wound about the wheel 19. The cord 34 passes first around the idler wheel 36, while the cord 3? in a similar manner passes around the idler wheel 37. One end of the cord 34 carries a de pending weight 38, and a similar weight 39 is suspended from the end of the cord 35. If desired, these weights may be separately hung upon the sprocket wheels 18 and 19, in which case the ends of the cords 34 and 35 will be secured to the body of the respective sprocket wheels.

40 is a central power wheel through which power is transmitted to any desired mechanism.

In the operation a wave advancing up the incline 11 swings the gate 16 over in the direction of the arrow. The illustration shows the gate just starting. This movement of the gate draws down the cord 34 and rotates the sprocket wheel 18, which, through the sprocket chain 31 and the sprocket pinion 29, operates the ratchet gear 27, turning it in the same direction as the sprocket Wheel. The same action of the cord carries down the sprocket wheel 18, so that the bar 23 turns upon its pivot and elevates the ratchet Wheel 27, bringing it into engagement with the ratchet transmitting ear 40, rotating it in the opposite direction. As the Wave passes on across the space 12 and up the incline 13, it abuts against a beach or wall, and charging backward operates the gate in reverse direction, until the cord rotates the sprocket wheel it) and its pinion 28 and in the same manner as described with reference to the opposite parts, elevates the pinion 28 so that it engages the ratchet gear 40. As the gate 16 swings back to the indicated position the weight 38 serves to new reverse the operation of the sprocket wheel 18, win'ling the cord Bl about it and restoring the equilibrium so that the pinion 27 drops occupying the relative position indicated for the opposite pinion in the drawing. This action takes place coincidentally with the elevation of the pinion 29 so that a practically continuous operation of the pinion 40 is secured by the rapidly alternating engagement of the pinions 27 and 28 with it.

The simplicity of the parts, their balanced correlation and yielding character, enable me thus to utilize all the possible power to be derived from a wave, and at the same time to keep the operative mechanism in constant operation.

I claim,

1. In a wave-power machine, the combination of a frame, a swinging gate, oppositely arranged drive-wheels pivoted to the frame, a ratchet-gear connected with and operated from each drive-wheel, a powertransmitting gear alternately engaged by the ratehet-gears, and power-transmitting connections between the swinging gate and the drive-wheels.

2. In a WtLVtkPUWGl' machine, the co1nbination of a base comprising two separate inclines, a gate pivoted between the inclines, a pair of drive-wheels oppositely arranged, a driving-cord or belt secured at each side of the gate, each cord or belt being adapted to encircle the corresponding drive-wheel, a bar pivoted to the frame and carrying gear connections at its outer end, a power-transmitting device engaged by the gears 0n the ends of the bar, and a re-winding weight operating upon each drive-wheel after each application of power.

3. In a wave-power machine, the combination of a base comprising two separate inclines, a gate pivoted between the inclines, a frame, a pair of drive-wheels pivoted to opposite sides of the frame, the drivewheels having grooves and a sprocket, a cord passing from each side of the gate through the grooves of each drive-wheel, a gear connected with each drive-wheel and means for operating each gear from the sprocket of the corresponding drive-wl1eel,a weight suspended from the end of each cord, and a central power connection with which the gears operated by the drive-wheels alternately engage.

In testimony whereof I have afiixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

EDMUND T. ALLEN.

Witnesses:

HAZEL B. GoE'rz, W. G. CLARK.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

